Flexible pump plunger



FLEXIBLE PUMP PLUNGER Filed Nov. :50, 1951 2 sheets-Sheen 2 Patented June 4, 1935 Mvi, i*

,Standlea Tulsa, fOkla., assignors to The Guiberson Corporation, ;Dallas; Tex., a corporation -of ,Delaware l Application NovemberSD, 1931, Serial No. 577,944

Y9 Claims. This .invention relates .to new and useful iinvprovements in exible pump'plungers 'The .invention has particularly to do with plungers such as are usually connected to the end of Aa string of sucker rods in awell and which is reciprocated in the working barrel attached to the lower -sendof .the well tubing, whereby the oil-or other liquid is elevated. f

.One object ,of .the .invention is -to provide an improved plunger which will be free .from .the usual .non-metallic rings or cups, thus 'doing away with the quickwearingand cuttingdifliculty usually present in such structures.

A further object `of the invention is to 'provide an improved pump :plunger having an elongated expansion section arranged to be internally expanded so as to form a liquid-tight contact with the inner Wall of .the working barrel entirely around its circumference, whereby .a :more efficient lift is provided upon the y,upstrok'e ofthe plunger and a reduced frictional contact islxhad on the vdownstroke of :said plunger.

A still further object vof the invention is to provide an improved pump plunger having internally expansible longitudinal panels made integral at their ends with the body of the plunger' and overlappingeaoh lother intermediate therein, so as to be'iree to expand and at the same time preventing leaks between Vtheir overlapping portions.

A construction vdesigned to carry out the invention will be hereinafter .described together with other features of theinvention.

The invention will be ,more readily understood from a reading of the vfollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings lin which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

kFigure 1 is an elevation'of ajplunger lconstructed in accordance 4with the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan' view of the plunger,

Figure `3 is an enlarged horizontal cross-.sectional `view vtaken on the`line3-3of Figure l,

Figure 4 is anfenlarged 'horizontal ycross-sec'- tional view taken onithe'line 4-4 oi Figure 4l,

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken on theline 1;5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 16 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional vlew taken on the line 6 6 of Figure l,

Figure 7 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure l, and

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the plunger.

In the drawings the numeral I designates an elongated cylindrical hollow body 'having a screwthreaded pin II at its upper end. The upper end of the body is provided with a beveled shoulder I2 and a pluralityof equally spaced vertical slots I3 `forming outlets. In .order to `reinforce `*and strengthen the upper end of the body a central boss I4 extends downwardly from the pin I-I Aand is curved VinwardlyV at the slots so as to give the latter suiiicient area. Y

The body has its interior graduallyjincreased in diameter downwardly from the boss I4 so that its wallis suiiiciently reduced in thickness -to pro vide the elongated elastic panels I5. yBetween the panels elongated openings `are provided for receiving Y.panels or Aslats ;I6 ffastened therein.' Each panel l Ihas its `vertical edges H "beveled,

and the Vertical edges I8 of the `'arcuate panels i6 are undercut so as to overlie and contact with the `edges Il. -By Athis arrangement it will vbe seen, from an observation of Figure 6, that both the panels vI 5 and I6 may be 'expandedoutwardly without breaking the contacts between the 'edges Il and `I8. y This structure permits the intermediate or lpanel section of the plunger to'beexpanded and liquid-tightjjoints between Ithe-panels to vbe maintained.

Each panel '|16 4has'its ends beveled at Ii9 and these bevels co-act 'with bevels 20 between the panels I5 'to form grooves, in xwhich a nsuitable welding Vor brazing metal 2| is introduced, #when thep'anels 'IE are brazed vor welded to thebody I0. 'The securing of the panels I6 at their ends leaves their edges I8 free and permits'theforming of a liquid-tight contact oetweenthe edges Il and I8. y'Themetall is `finished*oniiiluslfl with the surface ofthe plunger body. External ring low the -panels and -Ysplitmetallic rings 23 are seated lin these grooves. These rings lare suiciently elastic yto engage 'the inner wall Aof the working barrel (not shown) and thus vprevent the passage of sand. By `this arrangementsand will be prevented from engaging between the outer surfaces of the panels and the inner wall of the working barrel. Y f l `Anintegral cage or'spider 24 is formedin the lower Aend oi the body Il), as isbest shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. A-.bushing isscrewedinto the lower Aend `of .the body .andiis .counter-.sunk

grooves 2,2 are `formed in ithe-body 1arboveand be-` so A ` as they not only tend to keep sand away rom seat and ball may be removed for any purpose 3. In a pump plunger, a hollow cylindrical body found necessary.

The pin I I is screwed into the socket A of a sucker rod B, whereby the plunger is supported and reciprocated by said rod. The plunger operates in the working barrel (not shown) in the usual manner. Upon the downstroke of the plunger the ball valve 29 is displaced' upwardly in the cage 24 by the liquid,fwhich thus rises in the body I and flows outward through the slots I3. Upon the upstroke of the plunger the valve,

is seated and the liquid trapped within the body I0 and above it. This liquid load will exert a lateral or internal pressure against the panels I and IB, which will thus be expanded so .as to form a liquid-tight Contact with the innervwall of the working barrel. The liquid thus being retained within and above the body I 0 willv be Y elevated upon the upstroke of the plunger. Upon the downstroke of the plunger the internal pressure will be relieved, thus permitting the panels to retract, and reducing their frictional contact with the wall 'of the working barrel during said downstroke. By fastening the panels at each end a more substantial structure is produced and danger of distorting the panels becomes very slight.A If the upper ends of these panels were left free, they would be subject to distortion and might catch upon obstructions, or break oiT.

Further, Yby securing both ends of the panels the greatest expansion will take place centrally between the ends, Vand only suicient surface contact will be had to form the liquid-tight joint. Unless the expansion is restrained to some` extent it would be too'great and cause undue friction. By arranging the ball valve in the bottom of the body and eliminating relative movement between the panels and the sucker rod, a more simple device is provided, and there is little dan-I ger of battering. 'Ihe sand rings are important thepanels, but also act to keep the inner surfaces of they working barrel free from obstructions. By making the barrel and panels as integralf structureV excessive wear and the danger of breaking parts is reduced to a minimum, particularly when compared with plungerswherein the panels are movable independently ofV the sucker rod and upper and lower portions of the plunger body.`

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well as modications and alterations, may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

VHaving illustrated and describedv a preferred form of the invention, what we claim, is:

1. In aY pump plunger, a hollow body having longitudinal-openings and longitudinal expansible panels between said openings and co'extensive therewith,l and co-acting expansible panels se- `cured at each end in said openings, the panels having" overlapping edges in contact forming liquid-tight joints.

2. .In a pump plunger, a hollow body having longitudinal openings and expansible panels between said openings and cti-extensive therewith,

the said panels of the body having beveled longitudinal edges,jand co-acting expansible panels secured at each end in said'openings and having undercut edges overlying and contacting with the edges ofthe rst-named panels.

having a screw-threaded pin at its upper end and openings adjacent the pin for discharging liquid from the body, and longitudinal radially expansible panels secured fluid-tight at both their ends to the body and located below the openings thereof, said panels having their longitudinal edges in intimate Contact.

4. In a pump plunger, a cylindrical hollow body having an opening at each end, longitudinal expansible panels intermediate the ends of the body, the body having elongated openings coextensive with the panel kand beveled portions at each end of each opening, and separate elongated panels mounted in the openings of the body and having beveled ends co-acting with the beveled portions of the body to form recesses for receiving la fused metalfor fastening the panels to the 5. A pump plunger comprising, an elongated hollow body having expansible iluid-tight elongated panels connected at each oftheir ends to the body having their longitudinal edges in intimate contact, whereby said panels expand intermediate their ends when subjected to internal fluid pressure.

6. AApump plunger comprising, an elongated hollow body having expansible fluid-tight elongated panels rigidly secured at each of their ends to the body having their longitudinal edges in intimate contact, whereby said panels expand intermediate their ends when subjected to internal iiuid pressure. 1

'7. A pump plunger comprising, an elongated hollow body having expansible huid-tight elongated panels connected at each of their ends to the body having their longitudinal edges in intimate contact,` whereby said panels expand intermediate their ends when subjected to internal fluid pressure, the longitudinal edges of the panels overlapping and contacting with each other, and means for attaching the body to a sucker rod.

8. A pump Yplunger comprising, an elongated hollow body having expansible fluid-tight elongated panels connected at each of their ends to the body having their longitudinal edges in intimate contact, whereby said panels expand intermediate their ends when subjected to internal iluid pressure, and sand rings mounted on the body above and below the upper and lower ends of the panels to prevent sand reaching the outer surfaces of the panels and entering therebetween.

9. A pump plunger comprising, an elongated hollow body having elongated longitudinal openings and elongated longitudinal expansible panels between said openings, elongated longitudinal expansible panelssecured at each end in said openings of therbody and having their longitudinal edges overlapping thelongitudinal edges of the body panels soas toco-act therewith and form duid-tight joints, and means for attaching the plunger to a pumping element, said plunger having iiuid discharge openings above and below the panels, said panels being arranged to expand when subjected to internal fluid pressure. 

